Safety device for swinging scaffolds



Jan. 5 1926. 1,568,285

' R. J. LACKNER SAFETY DEVICE FOR SWINGING SCAFFOLDS Filed August 25, 1924 gm vented;

Pmm'd Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROLPH J. LACKNEB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO LACKNEB PRODUCTS COR- PORATION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR swmomo SCAFFOLDS.

Application filed August 25, 1924. Serial No.- 784,014.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Ronrrr J. Laoxrmn, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Swinging Scaffolds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a safety device for swinging scaffolds and has for its object the provision of a device which may be applied to any swinging scaffold at a trifling cost and by which the workmen upon the scaffold will be provided with means for checking their descent and possible dropping to the ground in the event that either suspending cable of the scaffold should break. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The drawing shows a perspective view of a swinging scaffold having my present invention ap lied thereto.

The sca old comprises a platform 1 fitted through and carried by scaffold irons 2 at its ends, which scaffold irons are supported by cables 3 which are secured to the roof of the building in the usual manner and are equipped with pulleys 4.- carrying hooks 5 or similar elements engaged in eyes 6 at the upper ends of the scaffold irons. The seat fold irons are also provided with upright arms 7 at their outer sides which are formed with eyes 8 at their upper ends. All the parts so far mentioned are now commonly embodied in the swinging scaffolds employed by painters and other mechanics for working upon the side of a building, and ordinarily a wooden bar is inserted through the eyes 8 to constitute a guard rail to prevent the workmen falling off the front side of the scaffold. Should either suspending cable 3 break, the scaffold will be suspended in a vertical or nearly vertical position below the unbroken cable and the guard rail is free to slide out throu h the eyes 8 so that it constitutes no real sa ety element, and it is the particular object of my invention to provide a device which will remain in lace notwithstanding any such extreme ti ting of the scaffold.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a cable 9 which is preferably of steel and of sufficient diameter to possess the necessary strength. This cable is inserted through the eyes 8 of the scaffold irons, as shown in the drawing, and will preferably be substituted for the wooden guard rail above mentioned, although it may, if preferred, be used without discarding the wooden guard rail. The ends of the cable are carried inwardly from the eyes 8, as shown at 10, and are inserted through and clamped or tied to the rings or eyes 11 which are fixed to the under sides of the pulley blocks 4. Should either suspending cable 3 break when the scaffold is equipped with my safety cable, the workmen may grasp the cable 9 and will be supported by the same even though the platform of the scaffold should slide throu h and drop from the scaffold irons. Even i the scaffold irons should become disengaged from the hooks 5, the cable will still remain suspended from the unbroken cable 3 inasmuch as it is clamped or tied to both pulley blocks 4 and, therefore, the workmen will drop only to the extent permitted by the length of the cable. An expert workman will have no difficulty under the described conditions in reaching the unbroken cable 3 and adjusting the same so as to lower himself and any possible companion safely to the ground in the ordinary manner of adjusting the scaffold. My device is obviously simple, inexpensive and easily applied to any swinging scaffold now in use.

Having thus described the invention, I

claim:

1. A safety device for swinging scaffolds consisting of a guard member extended between and fixedly secured to the scaffoldsuspending means.

2. The combination with a swinging scaffold comprising a platform, scaffold irons carrying the platform and provided at the upper ends of their front sides with eyes. suspending cables and pulley blocks carried by said cables and connected with the scaffold irons, of a guard cable having its intermediate ortion inserted through the eyes on the see old irons and its ends secured to the pulley blocks.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROLPH J. LAGKNER [n a] 

